Popular photography today is mostly captured, edited, and shared in digital format, and most young people are unfamiliar with how photos were taken in the “olden days.” Upper School Art Teacher Denise Douglas set out to change that and shared her passion for historical photographic processes with her Winter Term students. The Vintage Photographic Processes course introduced students to the magic of photography from the late-19th and early-20th centuries, including image transfer and cyanotype, Van Dyke, and lith printing. These techniques produce striking monochromatic or multi-hued images using light-sensitive chemicals and UV exposure.
Douglas designed the course to be accessible to all students, regardless of prior photography experience. Students created prints using various objects and integrated these images into mixed media collages, fostering creativity and experimentation.
Abby Selner ’28 loved the freedom of the photographic process. She said, “We learned a lot of different things, such as cyanotype and Van Dyke processes, image transfers, and mixed media such as collages. I picked this class because I love photography, and I thought it would be fun and interesting to learn about vintage processes. I love learning new things regarding photography and art, which I enjoy. I also met more people from other grades and made new connections.”
Douglas said, “Winter Term provides a unique opportunity to explore alternative photographic approaches not typically covered during the regular semester. It’s exciting to witness the students’ creative growth.”
Through this unique blend of history and hands-on creativity, Douglas’s Winter Term class sparked a newfound appreciation for the art of photography’s past!